Movable sensor turrets have been developed that provide the ability to direct imaging systems and illumination systems contained within a turret housing in a desired direction. In certain applications, such as those for use on aircraft and other moving platforms, sensor turrets may include a moveable spherical housing or sensor “ball” for improved aerodynamics. The spherical housing or ball is often part of a gimbal or pivot assembly and may be able to rotate on one or more axes. In certain applications, a sensor turret or sensor ball may contain stabilization features such as gyroscopes and actuators for improved imaging.
Because of the limited space available within a given sensor turret or sensor ball, the included imaging systems have previously been limited in size, e.g., the primary mirror size for a given focal length, and/or field quality. Furthermore, the presence of one imaging or illumination system within a sensor ball has typically precluded the simultaneous use of different systems for other illumination and imaging purposes.
What is needed therefore are systems and methods for obtaining compact, high field-quality spherically-enclosed imaging systems for use within a sensor ball of a given size. What is further needed are systems and methods for obtaining spherically-enclosed imaging systems that have relatively wide fields of view (FOV).